Ridgeway Cottage anyhow

  Things are going well with my Frankenadventsocks and the latest section is quite monsterous. I did attempt a bobble style stitch but was too tired to concentrate as well as being constantly interrupted. It's one of the stitches where you have to count and do everything right otherwise it ends up looking like a holey mess (see below). I've renamed it freestyle lace . It's very in the momen t and totally organic. It neither has direction nor is concerned with remaining within the confines of a regular pattern. It's impossible to make a mistake because there is no right or wrong way.   Not only have I freed myself from perfection and conformity in this section, I have also challenged my fear of scratchy yarns. I discovered that the softest of softs is not the only way and that everything is welcome in these socks even if I have absolutely no idea what the yarn is. I have changed my focus of what something is, to what it can be. This ball of charity shop treasure has n...

I really haven't been feeling well at all of late. I did try to get an appointment with the GP but they are not easy people to pin down, so I turned to the pharmacy for help.   The Old Pharmacy in Faversham is no ordinary place though; it is a luxury yarn dispensary. If you find yourself weighed down with the heavy burden of the more rubbish aspects of life with symptoms such as weepiness and loss of all believe in yourself, then this is the place to go. Filled with colour, texture and fluffiness in each of its old fashioned nooks and crannies, just the pure existence of all those rows of tiny drawers is enough to lift the grayest of souls. I couldn't help myself, I had to get my mitts on one of those exquisite glass knobs and have a little peep inside.   Although those apothecary jars are now filled with coloured water, it was exciting to imagine what delightful lotions and potions they once held. Gillian is the most wonderful person/ designer / yarn guru who accurately p...

It's official, both of my Frankenadventsocks have been started with a ribbed cuff in 100% Wensleydale wool.   So why is that important I hear you ask? Because Wensleydales are in the "at risk" category on the Rare breeds list and if we don't do more knitting with this fab British yarn, then the demand for Wensleydales will decrease and they will disappear. Above are the facts taken from a 1949 book by N. L. Tinley (Department of Agriculture) entitled Good Sheep Farming. I got the book out from the LRC at work. It seriously does have a book on everything I'd want to know ever. Just look at their mega fringe, curly whirly dreadlocked fleece and these guys are big. They even have blue faces. For long lustrous wool, I'm a fan so they're going in my Frankenadventsocks and my imaginary sheep farm.   Posted with Blogsy

It wouldn't be December without some kind of advent celebration. I'm done with the overpriced hugely commercial sponsored by Cadburys / Thortons chocolate before breakfast calendars but have yet to persuade the children that there is another way. I don't really know the full history of advent but it's interesting to note that if you do start to google it, "the history of advertising" comes out as the top hit which I think says a lot about the whole count down to Christmas. What with the time of year and the stresses and strains of my working life, I have found myself not really feeling that well. So following all I discovered in Wovember and the therapeutic effect of knitting and getting back to nature, I'm stepping back from the hustle and bustle of 24 shopping days left to Christmas and taking things one stitch at a time. I came home from work early yesterday, thoroughly crushed and Shinybees Podcast came to the rescue with Frankenadvent soc...

November has been hard for me this year. Despite immersing myself in the ethos of Wovember, I've struggled. Life is always a learning process and my own quirks are can really bring me down sometimes. We all suffer from perfectionism but even trying to think about the last day that I haven't cried at points throughout the day brings me to tears so I know things are not right. Wooden heart from the Black Forest I like the switch in acceptance that is creeping into society. I'm not a massive fan of supermarkets but it makes me smile to see the shelves filled with mindful colour therapy. If it weren't for art, colour and creativity, November would be a very dark time. It doesn't legitimately have the delightful glitz and sparkle of December (although I know Christmas is in the shops). My exploration into yarn, fibre and podcasts that provide a wealth of information inevitably led me to Wooful. It's a wonderful insight into a whole new world that has opened...

Even as a kid, November was never my favourite month. There's the rain, the darkness and after bonfire night, it held very little excitement. The older I got, the more I disliked my flowers going into hibernation and all my beloved outdoor activities become impractical at this mostly grey and dreary time of year. Then two events happened in November that changed my life. After difficult pregnancies, Charlie arrived safely in November 2006 and devastatingly I lost baby Jack in November 2009. This makes November a huge roller coaster of emotions. Until this year, I have dreaded it but year after year I have developed ways to cope. Of course being able to focus on Charlie's birthday has always been a positive but the pain and sadness remain. Immediately after Jack's death, I turned to craft for comfort. The process of thinking through projects and the useful purposefulness of creating lovely things helped fill the void and feelings of hopelessness. The original ...

Yes dogs are quite a lot of work and true you do have walk them all year round in every type of weather but it truly is a fab way to experience life. Whilst most are in bed, my fluffy friend and I close the front door on our sleeping family and head off into adventureland.  Sherlock is always ready for a walk and is mastering the art of sitting nicely for a photo. I have a feeling, from the intensity of his stare, that he thinks my phone is a toy for him, but he sits nevertheless. We walk along the old Crab and Winkle embankment which is ideal for squirrel chasing   and mushroom spotting, then up on to the University fields. I particularly like it when it's misty in the autumn and frosty in the winter. It's an excellent space for rabbit and fox escapades and generally running around like a loon. I love the trees in all their glorious shade. They create beautifully natural frames for my doggy subject. And my woofer ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp2iQ5PfJK8

It's the first kid free two days off in a row for over a year. I've been doing a bit of extra work here and there and what with all the sock knitting, there hasn't been so much time for pottering around. So today, especially as it's so gruesome outside (yes Herbie cat you are getting wet - stop sleeping in the rain), I'm celebrating Socktober. I've been sorting through my sock yarn stash, organising my unfinished sock projects and spending time with my new YouTube friends. "Hey lady, back it up! Aren't you the same mean mum who moans at her kids about their incessant chatter about YouTube and hours wasted watching trash?" "Yes I am and I will readily admit that my parenting style is based on hypocracy." I have frittered away the morning watching Love sock yarn , Yarngasm and Homespun House. I've recklessly started crocheting some earrings and I have had a perfectly lovely time. Posted with Blogsy

  In the past week, I have made two marvellous discoveries that have had a huge impact on my daily life in my year of the sock. I must gush about the uber stylish Swedish-Norwegian knitting chappies, Arne and Carlos who I met at Ally Pally last week. I totally adore them and have emmersed myself in the fan worship practically encouraged by social media. I have liked them on Facebook , followed them on Instagram and ordered their books from the library. What's not to like about these guys? However top of their list of points of awesomeness are Arne and Carlos knit socks (demonstrated beautifully whilst sitting on their own settee at The Knitting and Stitching Show) They have their own Design Line of sock knitting yarn with a fake fairisle self patterning brilliance I purchased the Summer Night 3657 colourway, there and then on the spot from Arne and Carlos and have knitted them everyday since   Posted with Blogsy

I do not cope well with limitations. For me boundaries are there to be stretched, barriers need to be broken down and rules are for bending. I do not like that suffocating feeling of physical or emotional restrictions.   So today I am struggling on every level with my sprained ankle. I have already cried the tears of disappointment at not being able to go to work. Aesthetically, the swelling is hugely unattractive, the bruising is developing by the hour not to mention the pain that kept me awake last night. However every cloud does have a silver lining and knitting is my saviour. The fab leg warmers of autumnal hues that I knitted in the summer are ideal for holding the ice packs in place and prettying up the whole dismal situation. Miserable as I am, confined to a seated position, it is giving me a chance to work on my greatest sock knitting challenge to date. This Knitty pattern has had me foxed for well over a year. The needles on which they are knitted are tiny (1.75mm) fo...

It seems like ages since I wore a coat. Best of all I like the scorching hot summer days but I don't mind a few drops of summer rain. When you have a dog, walking in the rain comes with the job. I wouldn't head out for a stroll in a shower if it wasn't for that little fluffy friend of mine but it is so peaceful walking early in the morning.   Even though it was raining, everywhere is still ever so dry and all my plants could really do with a good drenching. Having Sherlock makes me truly value green open spaces. We hunt them out together so that he can run free, chase squirrels and rabbits and just be a dog. I hope that when the kids are older, they don't have to walk down streets of new builds saying, "when we were young, all this used to be fields, we walked our dog here."   Whilst most people are still sleeping, Sherlock and I are out exploring the world, discovering treasure like these ghosts of mushrooms. Surely they didn't magically appear after ...

I've been so busy knitting socks that I totally forgot about keeping a record of all the ones that have been flying off my needles. Well "flying" would be a total exaggeration, far more like creeping but so far I believe that I have knitted 8 pairs. Yes that's right PAIRS!!! I recovered from my early onset of second sock syndrome and can now quite happily knit both socks simultaneously. I feel like I have learnt so much so far and even have sock idols. Ohh to be able to design my own socks. I have discovered Socktopus , Sockupied and drool over sock clubs These are my May socks Shur'tugal designed by the Socktopus herself, Alice Yu. I do actually really love them and can't believe I've managed to knit a pair of socks with so few mistakes and such a fancy looking heel. These socks taught me double-tail long-tail cast on which took me several attempts and that patterns are not scary after all. I can infact read them quite successfully ...

I love each and everyone of these with all my heart. Spring is here and so are my flowers.